Hemp oil is made by either cold-pressing hemp seeds or extracting cannabinoids from hemp flowers, depending on which type of hemp oil you’re after. These are two fundamentally different products made from different parts of the same plant, so the process you need depends on your goal. Hemp seed oil is a nutritional oil rich in fatty acids, similar to sunflower or flaxseed oil. CBD hemp oil (sometimes called hemp extract) is made from the flowers and leaves, and its purpose is to capture cannabinoids like CBD.
Hemp Seed Oil vs. CBD Hemp Oil
Hemp seed oil comes from hemp grain varieties bred specifically for their seeds. The seeds contain zero meaningful cannabinoids, so this oil won’t contain CBD or THC. What it does contain is a high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (70 to 90% of total fat content), with an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of roughly 3:1, which falls in the range nutritionists generally consider optimal. It also provides vitamin E in the form of tocopherols, ranging from about 76 to 92 mg per 100 grams of oil.
CBD hemp oil, by contrast, is extracted from harvested hemp flowers and plant material (sometimes called biomass). The goal here is to pull out cannabinoids, not fatty acids. The permitted extraction solvents for this type of oil in most jurisdictions are ethanol, CO2, or lipids like coconut oil or olive oil. This distinction matters because if you see “hemp oil” on a grocery store shelf, it’s almost certainly hemp seed oil. If you see it in a supplement store with a CBD milligram count, it’s a cannabinoid extract.
How Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oil Is Made
Making hemp seed oil follows the same basic process used for any oilseed crop. The seeds are fed into a mechanical screw press that compresses them under extreme pressure, forcing the oil out of the seed. The process is called “cold pressing” because no external heat is added. Keeping temperatures low preserves the oil’s fatty acid profile and prevents the delicate polyunsaturated fats from degrading.
Hemp seeds are roughly 29 to 34% oil by weight, so one kilogram of seeds will yield about 290 to 340 grams of oil under ideal conditions. Real-world yields are typically a bit lower, since no press extracts every last drop. After pressing, the raw oil is filtered to remove seed particles and sediment, then bottled. The finished product has a nutty, slightly grassy flavor and a greenish tint.
Industrial producers sometimes use cooling mechanisms built into the press (copper coil systems with food-grade coolant, for example) to actively manage temperature during extraction. For home use, small tabletop oilseed presses are available and work on the same principle: you pour seeds in the top, turn the press on, and oil drips out one side while pressed seed cake comes out the other.
Making CBD Hemp Oil at Home
The simplest way to make cannabinoid-rich hemp oil at home is through a carrier oil infusion. This method uses a fat like coconut oil or olive oil to dissolve and absorb cannabinoids from dried hemp flower. It requires no special equipment beyond a kitchen oven, a baking sheet, and a slow cooker or double boiler.
Step 1: Decarboxylation
Raw hemp flower contains cannabinoids in their acid form, which your body can’t use the same way. Heating the flower converts these inactive compounds into active ones like CBD. This step is called decarboxylation, and skipping it will give you a much weaker oil.
Spread your hemp flower evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 240°F (115°C) for about 40 minutes. The flower should look slightly toasted and feel dry and crumbly when it’s done. Research on hemp flower decarboxylation shows that higher temperatures (up to 135°C) speed up the process but risk degrading some compounds, so the 115°C range offers a good balance of activation and preservation.
Step 2: Infusion
Once your flower is decarboxylated, combine it with your carrier oil in a slow cooker or double boiler. A standard starting ratio is 1 ounce of flower to 2 cups of oil, which produces a milder oil suitable for people who want a lower concentration. For a stronger result, use a 1:1 ratio of 1 ounce of flower to 1 cup of oil. If you’re working with trim (leaves and stems rather than flower), double the plant material. If you’re using kief (the concentrated trichome powder), cut the amount in half or more.
Heat the mixture at a low temperature, between 160 and 200°F (70 to 93°C), for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally and watch the temperature to avoid overheating, which can destroy cannabinoids. When the infusion time is up, strain the oil through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to remove all plant material. Squeeze the cheesecloth to get every last bit of oil out, then store the finished product in a glass jar in a cool, dark place.
Industrial CBD Extraction Methods
Commercial producers use more advanced techniques to create the concentrated CBD oils you find in stores. The two most common methods are ethanol extraction and supercritical CO2 extraction.
Ethanol Extraction
This process soaks hemp biomass in food-grade ethanol, which dissolves cannabinoids along with chlorophyll, waxes, and plant fats. The ethanol is then evaporated off, leaving behind a crude oil. That crude oil goes through a purification step called winterization: the oil is mixed back into ethanol and placed in a freezer for at least 24 hours. During that time, waxes and fats solidify and separate from the liquid. The mixture is then filtered to remove those solids, and the ethanol is evaporated again, producing a cleaner, more refined oil.
Supercritical CO2 Extraction
This method pumps carbon dioxide at high pressure and moderate temperature through hemp material. Under these conditions, CO2 behaves like both a liquid and a gas, making it an excellent solvent for pulling out cannabinoids. Optimized conditions for maximizing CBD yield call for pressures around 48 MPa (roughly 475 times normal atmospheric pressure) and temperatures around 60°C, with extraction times of about 110 minutes. CO2 extraction is considered the cleanest method because the CO2 evaporates completely, leaving no solvent residue in the finished product. The equipment, however, costs tens of thousands of dollars, putting it well outside the range of home producers.
Legal Considerations for Hemp Oil
Hemp seed oil sold as a food product has no THC restrictions to worry about since the seeds don’t contain cannabinoids. CBD hemp oil is a different story. Under the 2018 Farm Bill, legal hemp products must contain less than 0.3% THC. Federal regulations shifting in late 2026 will require hemp products to contain less than 0.4% THC per container, redefining anything above that threshold as marijuana.
If you’re making CBD oil at home from legally purchased hemp flower (which must test below 0.3% THC at harvest), your finished oil will generally stay within legal limits. State laws vary significantly, though, and some states restrict the sale or possession of CBD products regardless of THC content. Check your state’s current hemp regulations before producing oil in any quantity beyond personal use.
Storing Hemp Oil
Both types of hemp oil are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen. Hemp seed oil’s high polyunsaturated fat content makes it especially prone to going rancid. Store it in a dark glass bottle in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several months. Never use hemp seed oil for high-heat cooking, as its fatty acids break down quickly at frying temperatures. It works best as a salad dressing, drizzled over finished dishes, or added to smoothies.
Homemade CBD hemp oil infused into coconut oil will solidify in the refrigerator, which is fine. It melts quickly at room temperature or with gentle warming. Most home-infused oils stay fresh for about two to three months when stored in an airtight container away from light. If the oil develops an off smell or unusual color, discard it.